Ultimate Guide to Black Friday Email Marketing
Part 2 - Dos and Don'ts
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Do • use enticing Subject Lines • use fun aliterations in the subject • build a mobile friendly message • target your content • use bold CTAs • remove disengaged recipients |
Don't • use lots of exclamation marks!!!!! • USE ALL CAPS • assume your message is fine as is • send everything and hope for the best • send overly busy content • try to re-engage idle subscribers |
The Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing to get noticed before recipients open a message. Make sure it's succinct and clearly identifies the topic of your message.
In 2017, the use of the words: Sales, Black Friday, Free, and Holiday were some of the most common. % and off were also heavily used. We recommend something like:
"Black Friday - 20% off ReachMail account sign ups"
Don't be afraid to use alliteration and word play in your subject. An unexpected pun can catch the eye and lead to an open. That's half the battle.
The Message Content
Mobile friendly messaging is imperative. On average, nearly half of all opens occur on mobile devices. Ensuring your message is clear and actionable no matter what device is viewing the message is key. Use the Message Builder to guarantee proper display in all cases.
Using bold, high contrast CTAs (calls to action) in your message go a long way. Ask yourself: what do I want the recipient to do when they get this message? This is true for any campaign of course, but even more important during a busy mailing period like Black Friday. A new reader should be able to know exactly what they should do in a matter of seconds. Provide supporting information for anyone that needs it, but that should always be second to the CTA itself.
Remember, recipients are flooded with messages on Black Friday. It is not the time to send an overly busy message. Don't send one message with four topics. You'll bet better traction sending four one-topic messages. It's even better if you can target recipients by their preference for content.
Don't assume your message looks fine as is. Test it to be sure by using the Inbox Preview feature from Litmus.com to see what your message looks like on popular mobile and desktop displays. Free previews are included with any paid ReachMail account.
The List
Recipient engagement is one of the more overlooked concepts in email marketing and Black Friday promotions are no exception. Idle subscribers will act as a drain on your delivery. If someone hasn't opened or clicked on one your messages in the last six months, they probably aren't going to start now. Use the Engagement Scanner to filter out the non-responder and make sure you're list contains highly interested recipients.
Don't try to re-engage idle subscribers over the Black Friday season. Your idle subscribers may have become spam traps/honeypots or other threats. Quantity does not equaly quality in email marketing.
If for some reason you absolutely have to mail recipients that aren't responding, at the very least, set them aside into their own list with the Engagement Scanner so you can prioritize them differently. Mail to the engaged group first then mail to the disengaged recipients a few hours or a day later.